Boulder, CU offer up to $300,000 in incentives to move the houses

A buck stands on the front lawn of the old Natural Hazards Library at 1244 Grandview Ave. after grazing in the flower bed on Wednesday, July 18, on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder. (Jeremy Papasso / Daily Camera file photo)

University of Colorado officials announced Friday they are again taking bids to relocate three 1920's-era bungalows from the Grandview Terrace area -- a final effort before the historic structures are demolished.

During the request-for-proposal process conducted this summer and fall, CU didn't receive any proposals that met the qualifications despite a collaboration with the city that offers up to $300,000 in incentives. In fact, the school only received one application and it was incomplete, said Malinda Miller-Huey, a campus spokeswoman.

But, city and university officials would like the houses to be relocated and preserved.

"If we don't find a qualified match this time, they'll be demolished," Miller-Huey said. "This is the last deadline. We really feel like it's important to make the effort and we would like to see the bungalows preserved and are giving it one more try."

The university announced in July it was taking bids from qualified house movers and contractors to relocate the houses from 1220, 1243 and 1244 Grandview Ave., and an amendment was made in August to increase the funds available for repair and relocation.

CU officials will pay $50,000 toward the costs of moving each house once a submission has been accepted and the house is successfully relocated, minus costs that CU pays for asbestos abatement. That's roughly equivalent to what CU would spend to demolish the houses.

Additionally, Boulder officials will pay $50,000 if the property is relocated within the city of Boulder and an application for landmarking the building is submitted.

Miller-Huey explained the bungalows are difficult and expensive to move, which has been a deterrent.

Under the revised schedule, opportunities for a walkthrough and inspection of the properties will be held on Dec. 20 and a mandatory pre-proposal conference will be held Jan. 3.

The proposal evaluation and selection period will be conducted from Jan. 17 through Jan. 24 and the contract award notification is estimated to go out on Feb. 1.

Interested parties should read the full request for proposals and the addendum, which will be available next week at http://tinyurl.com/92aq5yk

Historic preservation proponents have been hoping for the bungalows to be relocated.

The bungalow at 1220 Grandview Ave. once belonged to George Reynolds, a well-known CU professor and respected biblical, Shakespearean and English literature scholar, according to Abby Daniels, executive director of Historic Boulder.

Reynolds, who died in 1964, left his bungalow to the university and donated money to the city of Boulder for a library branch, which is named in his memory.

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